Holly Ridge Center

Mission, Vision, Values

At Holly Ridge Center, we create opportunities to empower people with disabilities to reach their fullest potential.  The vision behind our work is an inclusive community where we learn, work, & play together. while deeply valuing Respect, Inclusion, and Compassion.  

Description

Holly Ridge Center serves and supports people with developmental delays and disabilities in two primary program areas: an Infant Toddler Program (ITP) Birth-to-Three Early Support (Early Intervention) Services and Adult Employment Services (AES). 

Our Infant Toddler Program is the only Neurodevelopmental Center in Kitsap and North Mason Counties. We provide relationship-focused Early Support Services for families with children, ages birth to three, who present with one or more developmental delays or disabilities. 

Because 85% of brain development occurs in the first three years, early support is critical. Over 30% of kids who graduate from ITP need no additional specialized services.  

We served 1,471 children in 2024, averaging more than 500 families per month. Multidisciplinary services at Holly Ridge Center include occupational, physical, hydro, and speech therapy, early childhood special education, ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), infant & early childhood mental health services, medical home case management, dietitian services, and family support services. Up to 80% of our families live at or below the poverty line. Many are children in foster care or the child-welfare system.  Their challenges include, but are not limited to, medical fragility, multiple competing diagnoses, financial hardship, food insecurity, cultural and language barriers, limited access to care, and resource coordination.   

Nested within ITP is our growing Autism Services. Holly Ridge Center is an Autism Center of Excellence and among the few Early Support Centers that provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). As practiced at Holly Ridge Center, ABA is a play-based and strength-based child-led learning method for children diagnosed with Autism.  Our Autism Resources Navigator is one of a few in this position statewide, placing us on the cutting edge of Autism Supports & Services in the region. The funding of the Autism Resources Navigator position depends entirely upon contributed revenue.   

ITP Impact Story:

Meet DJ! A recent graduate of the Infant Toddler Program, DJ is a child with Autism who received various therapies at Holly Ridge Center, including ABA and Speech Therapy. The video of DJ (in the Media Gallery) showcases the use of the AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communications device) and the difference it made in DJ's ability to communicate.  

"The thing that has been really cool with DJ is that as soon as we gave this to him, he started exploring it and figuring out how it worked. We learned that he knows so much more than we thought he did. We knew he was smart, but he did not have a way of showing us a lot of what he knew." --Staci, DJ's Speech-Language Pathologist.  

The Adult Employment Services (AES) program supports competitive, integrated, person-centered employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have built a reputation for providing quality customer service to our job-seeking clients and the community partners who employ them.   

AES Impact Story: 

David is an Adult Employment Services client celebrating his 10th anniversary working at Ballast Books in Bremerton!

His manager, Kate, reflected on how much he has grown since the first day she started with him.  "He's more confident with greeting customers, better at time tracking, and transitions independently between tasks. David's impact on the store has been immense, she says, "people come by every week just to say hi to him." 

Full article on our website: https://hollyridge.org/celebrating-david/ 

Your financial support for Holly Ridge Center will help ensure we can: 

• Sustain critical Early Support Services for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities and delays. 

• Expand employment opportunities for adults with disabilities, to develop skills and gain access to tools, preparing them for meaningful and lasting employment of their choosing. 

• Assist parents and caregivers in acquiring an increased depth of knowledge and confidence in supporting their child's development. 

• Provide innovative, family-centered activities that connect families to community and resources for the journey beyond Holly Ridge Center.   

More information about Holly Ridge Center and its programs can be found at www.hollyridge.org. 

Recognition

Thank you! Your generous support of Holly Ridge Center ensures that all people can live to their fullest potential.